Visual Diary - Sara Mears Communication By Design

Motion Photography

Blur of movement in an image tells a story, and expresses a mood or feeling. In this case, the taxi and street in action capture the energy of NYC in a way a static image could not.

This “opening soon” window at the southwest corner of 72nd and Columbus caught my eye today with its bold color, minimalist aesthetic, and nod to NYC and Upper West Side culture in terms of its messaging. Malin+Goetz, a modern apothecary...

Give Back

One way to observe Earth Day (April 22) is to join an organization like 1% for the Planet. Members donate the equivalent of 1% of gross sales (through a combination of monetary, in-kind, and approved promotional support) directly to...

Gallery Ledge • 2

Design sketch for Zoom background logo panel.

Gallery Ledge • 1

First in a mini-series of posts that are like actual diary entries…recording and sharing what I’m doing right now in my own business. In terms of communication design. Two gallery ledges are installed on my wall.

Prototype

Prototypes are an important part of the creative process. These are full-size design mockups we “crafted and installed” to test the horizontal positioning and height of two gallery ledges on my studio wall. Actual ledges are coming soon!

Mission Statement

“We inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship” is the mission statement of REI (Recreation Equipment, Inc.), a national consumer co-op based in Seattle. Mission statements are one way...

QR Codes

I recently got sucked down a QR code rabbit hole, where I learned there is an almost-endless number of unique codes to which information can be linked, each with a different high contrast pattern. There are currently 40 versions.

Aspiration Symbol

I am not sure what to call it, but I love this winged cookie — part of Levain Bakery’s brand identity — shown here on their shopping bag. Levain, famous for its ginormous cookies, was founded locally at 167 West 74th Street...

Sidewalk Sticker • 3

Following up on my post earlier this year where I highlighted the NYC Parks Department sticker on my sidewalk announcing I would get a new tree, I am happy to share that my “baby” arrived, was planted, and is budding. Spring is on the way!

Initial

Following up on a previous post about the Lyft brand ID, I am also impressed with the New York City Taxi “T” circle icon, and combination design overall. The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission is back in the news with a just-announced alliance...

World Water

Today is World Water Day. Observed every year since 1993, World Water Day celebrates water while raising awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to safe water — a sobering fact for sure.

Palindrome

The amazing thing about the Sonos logo is it not only a palindrome in terms of its letters “SONOS,” it is also palindromic by design. If you rotate the artwork 180 degrees, it is exactly the same. I tried it! Palindrome: the characters read...

Certification

Third-party certification is a great way to build credibility and trust in a brand. B Corporation a private certification of for-profit companies regarding social and environmental performance, conferred by B Lab, a global nonprofit...

Typography

Happy Pi (π) Day! Pi is a Greek letter, shown here in a sans serif typestyle, that stands for the relationship of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi itself is a so-called “irrational” number, which I just re-learned, is a decimal that goes on...